


if love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?

by being_a_fangirl



Series: Coffee Shop Au's [1]
Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-07-28
Updated: 2013-07-28
Packaged: 2017-12-21 16:33:59
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,383
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/902467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/being_a_fangirl/pseuds/being_a_fangirl
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>louis works at a cafe with two of the most lovesick people on the planet. it's only natural that he needs someone to love too.</p>
            </blockquote>





	if love is the answer, could you please rephrase the question?

**Author's Note:**

> this was actually inspired by a wonderful tumblr post that i saw about half an hour ago ([here](http://being-a-fangirl.tumblr.com/post/56719330932/supernope-brolininthetardis-this-is-a))
> 
> like always, i hope you enjoy it! it's super short and kinda cheesy but i love it all the same. also, follow me on tumblr if you want updates on other things im writing (being-a-fangirl).

Today was the day the world conspired against Louis in every single way imaginable. No, he was not being a drama queen, _thank you very much_ , anyone would get frustrated if you woke up to no hot water because your landlord thought you hadn’t paid your bill when in fact you had handed him the cheque exactly one week ago. Anyone would get frustrated if, because of dealing with the hot water problems, you forgot to look outside at the weather, and forgot your umbrella during the thickest rain you had seen in at least ten years. And, anyone would get frustrated if you had to sit at work with the two most in-love people on the planet, while you, painfully single, stood there cleaning dishes while staring bitterly into the soapy water.

He was definitely not being a drama queen.

“Oh, come on Lou. I somehow snagged Liam here to date me… any boy would be lucky to date you. You just have to put yourself out there.” Zayn said, removing himself from his boyfriend long enough to notice his sullen glare.

“Not everyone has cheekbones like yours, I’m afraid.” Liam snorted at his antics and walked over to change the greeting board outside of the café. “I’m just destined to be alone, a lost soul in the wind, if you will.” Louis sighed and began placing the dishes back in their respectful places.

“Shove off,” Zayn nudged Louis’ shoulder. “ ‘m serious Lou. Any boy would be lucky, you just haven’t found the right one yet.” 

Louis rolled his eyes and put his focus into reaching on his tiptoes to place the plates back on the top shelf. 

 

-

 

About an hour into Louis’ shift more and more customers began filtering their way into the café, all with smirks on their faces. 

“Liam,” Louis tapped his friend on the back, “do I have something on my face or something. _Why_ are people looking at me that way?”

“Louis, why would you think that? You look as dashing as ever!” Liam said in an exaggerated voice and danced his way across the room to clear another table.

Louis’ eyes narrowed, Liam never had a mischievous look about him and it was unnerving to see one now. It was like his features were not capable of being anything other than sweet, puppy dog Payne. Louis huffed out a frustrated sigh and began cleaning out the espresso machine.

Not thirty seconds into cleaning, did the bell above the door ring and Louis’ world really, honestly and truly, came to an end. It was like someone was out to get him and chose their weapon in the form of a chiseled jaw and unruly curls pulled back by, wait, _was that a scarf_? The boy lifted his hands and waved at Louis’ gawking figure. In his haste to wave back Louis completely forgot he was nearly elbow deep in an espresso machine and almost sent it crashing to the floor.

Cheeks red with shame he slowly removed his hands and lifted one in a tiny wave, “Hi, welcome, what can I get you today?” 

The boy took his time wandering over to the counter, his eyes slowly raking up and down Louis’ body. “That’s a nice sign you guys have there, good for business I assume?” 

A crash echoed from where Liam was standing and Louis looked over to see him giving the curly haired boy in front of him a frantic glance. “Sorry, sorry, nothing to see here.”

“Uh, yeah?” Louis turned his attention back to the boy, “I guess? I mean I’ve never really noticed it so…”

“Ah I see.” The boy bit his lip around a smirk and sat down at the counter, “I’ll just have a tea please.”

Louis grabbed the boy’s change and set about preparing his tea. If anyone noticed that he was taking extra long to do so in order to gather his thoughts, well, then nobody mentioned it. Placing the tea on the counter, Louis rocked back on his heels and went to turn back to cleaning.

“I like that name, by the way, Louis. Sounds French.” The boy gestured to Louis’ nametag. “ ‘m Harry. Which doesn’t sound very French.” 

“Not at all,” Louis giggled. Actually giggled. He raised a hand to cover the offending noise and Harry’s smile grew impossibly large.

Louis found himself wanting to reach toward the dimples on Harry’s cheeks just to poke his finger in one to see if it could grow larger, which, in turn, meant that it was time to get back to work. He mentally shook himself and gave one last smile toward Harry before burrowing himself back into the damned espresso machine. 

Harry, however, seemed to have other plans and Louis could practically feel his gaze on him. It made blush rise to the balls of his cheeks and butterflies swoop in his stomach and all of those wonderful things he hasn’t felt in a long, long time. Whenever Louis would chance a glance back over to Harry, catching him staring, Harry’s smile would only widen. 

With his cheeks hurting from smiling so wide, Louis lost count of how many times they went back and forth like that. It seemed like no time at all when Harry stood up from the counter and walked over to Louis.

“Thank you for the lovely tea, to be honest I wasn’t even planning on getting any today but you had _wonderful_ advertisement outside of the shop today that I just _had_ to stop by.” Harry’s eyes were filled with amusement at Louis’ confused stare, “But for the record, me too.” He placed a napkin on the counter and sauntered out of the shop. 

Confused, Louis picked up the napkin only to see Harry had left his number on it. Shaking his head, he walked outside the shop and looked at the sign that usually held their specials of the day. Instead of the usual, it said:

 

_Today your barista is:_  
1\. Hella fucking gay  
2\. Desperately single  
For your drink today I recommend:  
You give me your number 

 

“No. No, no, no, no, no.” Louis mumbled to himself. “Liam Payne you come explain this right now!” He shouted, thankful for the lack of customers at the moment.

Liam’s head snapped up from where he was looking at the floor sweeping and it was as if Louis could see his imaginary tail cower between his legs. With each step he took forward, a little bit more of Louis’ anger dissipated into thin air.

“What if he just gave me his number as a joke?” Louis sighed when Liam finally made it to him.

“Only one way to find out, mate. Text him.” With a pat on the back, thankful he wasn’t going to get yelled at, Liam un-tucked his imaginary tail and trotted, literally trotted, back inside the shop.

The rest of Louis’ shift passed by in a blur of nerves. By the time his shift ended he was sure he had dropped more coffee cups than they had in stock, which was impressive if not down right embarrassing. With the napkin in one hand, and his phone in the other, Louis pressed the numbers into the new message slot.

 

_im so sorry about today… my friend liam is a prick. i didnt know about the sign… kind of really hoping you werent joking when you gave me your number_

_its louis by the way_

 

After sending the messages, Louis pocketed his phone and swore he wouldn’t check any messages he received until he was in the safety of his own flat. He did not need anyone else to be witness to the meltdown he was inevitably going to have. 

Finally making it home, he rushed up the front steps, into his first floor apartment and was grabbing at his phone in his pocket before the door was even shut behind him.

 

_not joking. :)_

 

Louis breathed a sigh of relief and slid his back down the door until he was sitting on the floor. He’d have to buy Liam flowers, or let him and Zayn shag in the break room one day to thank him for this. Louis clicked the reply button and let his fingers breeze across the screen, his smile never wavering.


End file.
